Shane paused for a bit after seeing Cloud's notification.

"Swimming through the ground?"

That was certainly quite terrifying to see. Although they had barriers that could block those Zombies from ignoring their walls, it wouldn't be easy for the Super Soldiers and Warden Units to stay on the ground fighting them…

"They're really Earth-types…" Shane muttered as he soon confirmed their appearance.

***

At the northern gate, Klara was already preparing as soon as she was informed by Cloud about the Earth-Type Zombies coming at them..

She had been stationed there since the last wave ended, and now, she was surrounded by a circle of Spirit Stones, more than thirty in total…

Apparently, they had been expecting some type of earth zombies coming at them, and with the Red Night boosting their abilities, Cloud calculated that they would have a chance of bypassing their walls and barriers if they didn't have a prepared counter move…

"Whew~ It's finally my time to shine…" Klara muttered as she had just finished drinking her potions.

She actually consumed a total of three potions just now

[ Spirit Amplifier: Boosts elemental affinity by 300% for 10 minutes ]

[ Mental Clarity Brew: Reduces Spirit cost of all abilities by 20% and increases casting speed ]

[ Earthroot Extract: Enhances Earth-element control and increases terrain manipulation range by 50 meters ]

These three potions could stack their effects, so she knew that it was the perfect time to use them.

Aside from these potions, her body also glowed faintly from the buffs she received earlier from the various statues placed near the gate.

[ Statue of the Unyielding Flame: Boosts morale by 20%, grants temporary resistance to fear-type effects, and increases movement speed by 5% during nighttime. ]

[ Statue of the Spirit Stone Miner: Increases Spirit Recovery Rate by 15%, and reduces Spirit cost of support-type abilities by 10%. ]

[ Statue of the Survivor's Will: Grants +10 Strength, +10% Physical Resistance, and some immunity to knockback effects if within the range of the statue. ]

After getting all these buffs, Klara exhaled slowly and activated her Rare-Grade Elemental Manipulation Talent.

Her affinity leaned heavily toward Water and Earth, and right now, Earth was what they needed.

She raised both hands, and the terrain responded.

The ground around the northern gate began to shift.

In just a matter of seconds, the soil hardened, then cracked, then twisted into uneven elevations and rough trenches.

The northeast and west directions were also affected as they were soon covered in unstable terrain. Sinkholes formed, shallow pits collapsed, and the surface became unpredictable…

Of course, it wasn't enough to stop the Earth-type Zombies completely.

But it made it difficult for them to stay underground…

This was normally impossible for a Rare Grade Talent, but thanks to the potion she consumed, the various Epic Grade accessories she had, and the Spirit Stones around her, she actually succeeded on the first try!

Hundreds of Earth Zombies were forced to surface early, their tunneling disrupted by the chaotic terrain. Some emerged disoriented, others were caught in the trenches and immediately targeted by the Mk.V Turrets.

Klara maintained her focus, channeling energy from the Spirit Stones to keep the manipulation active.

'Just hurry and kill them all…' She thought as she watched the snipers, warden units, and many others eliminate the Earth Type Zombies.

Still, she had enough Spirit Stones, so her breathing was still steady…

Unfortunately, no matter how great she was, her level was only 52. Because of that, she couldn't cover the southern gate with her limited range…

Still, she had done her part.

The north, northeast, and west were now protected, at least partially.

***

At the Southern Gate, Shane was informed about the situation at the other side…

He learned about Klara's terrain disruption spreading across the northern sectors.

It was working.

But the south was still exposed, so he had to make his move since the Earth Zombies might weaken their walls and collapse them from the underground…

"Cloud, activate the overdrive of the Spirit Pulse Obelisk to increase its range… Once the Zombies are in range, activate it. I'll anchor the southern defense myself."

[ Orders Confirmed. ]

Just like that, he moved toward the outer barricade, passing the Flame Towers and Mk.V Turrets. It was just enough for the range of the Obelisk to reach him in case it was needed.

For a moment, the ground beneath him was still stable...

But the tremors were getting stronger, and it wouldn't be very long before the Zombies arrive.

They were coming… and they fast.

He turned to the Super Soldiers nearby. "Stay elevated. Use the platforms. Don't engage until they surface."

Kain nodded and relayed the order. The Warden Units also began shifting formation, creating a layered perimeter. The Flame Towers also started adjusting their nozzles for low-angle coverage…

Of course, even their small grenade launcher team moved to higher ground, ready to fire on emergence points.

Shane took a deep breath as he stored his Eon Edge and his Blacklord Shield… Obviously, they weren't the best equipment to deal with the Earth Zombies.

Whoom~

The tremors were close.

Shane could feel it through the soles of his boots. The ground wasn't just shaking, it was starting to shift. Without a doubt, the Earth-Type Zombies were tunneling fast.

Soon, the Spirit Pulse Obelisk was triggered.

It was followed by a sudden burst of compressed energy. The pulse swept through the ground like a shockwave, disrupting subterranean movement and forcing several Earth Zombies to surface prematurely.

It was also the signal that Shane had waited for.

The soil cracked open in multiple places, and disoriented Zombies began crawling out, their limbs twitching as they tried to regain control.

Shane had already retrieved his ranged weapon; it was another weapon he got after absorbing all of his Memory Spheres.

[ Sylph's Whisper ( Mythic ): Crafted by the Elder Elves of the Moonlit Glade, this bow resonates with the natural mana of its surroundings. It automatically generates arrows infused with elemental energy, fire, ice, lightning, or wind, based on the wielder's intent. Sylph's Whisper is also capable of firing long-range, guided shots… ]

The bow had a lot of effects, and Shane had already read through them long ago. Still, it was made of the World Tree, so there was no need to doubt its abilities…

As soon as he equipped the soulbound bow, it swiftly synced with his energy signature…

Shane focused his intent and focused on lightning.

The first arrow formed, and soon, it started crackling with blue energy, and he released it without hesitation.

Bzzzzt~

The arrow curved mid-flight, guided by his will, and struck one of the surfacing Earth Zombies directly in the chest.

Bang!

The impact triggered a burst of electricity, stunning eight others nearby.

[ You have eliminated an Infested Earth Zombie. ]

[ You have eliminated an Infested Earth Zombie. ]

…

[ You have eliminated a Corrupted Earth Zombie. ]

[ You have eliminated a Bloodmarked Earth Zombie. ]

Shane had no idea about the difference between these Zombies since they all die in one hit, but they must have different points for the reward system later.

Nonetheless, he couldn't be bothered with that.

Shane just fired again.

This time, he chose fire element

The arrow ignited mid-air and exploded on impact, setting the surrounding terrain on fire!

Boom!

The Flame Towers also picked up the signal and adjusted their targeting, launching synchronized bursts to contain the spread!

Shane moved quickly, activating Heightened Awareness to track movement patterns of the Zombies and Veiled Step to reposition without drawing attention.

Of course, he had the passive skill called Armament Expert to stabilize his aim even in movement so his accuracy remained at the top…

He would even use his Phantasm Rush to dash between platforms, firing from elevated angles.

The Super Soldiers followed his lead, maintaining elevation and waiting for clear targets.

The Warden Units also held the perimeter, intercepting any Zombies that managed to surface near the barricade.

Kain shouted from the rear line. "They're surfacing faster now! That pulse really shook them up!"

Shane nodded and switched to wind arrows.

He fired another, and this time, he noticed that the Earth Zombies were gathering to a single point!

This was great! Shane smiled as he wanted more…

He triggered his Force Breaker Skill and spent 1,000 Spirit Points to amplify the impact radius!

"Die…"

Twang~

The arrow detonated upon impact!

Boom!

It created a gust that pushed several enemies back into the open.

The grenade launcher team fired immediately, catching the exposed targets in a coordinated blast.

"Nice… Nice… Just continue bombarding them… The Obelisk is on overdrive. It will protect the ground for at least 5 minutes!"

Shane kept moving.

He activated the Resilience Protocol to reinforce his armor and Aura Sentinel to shield the nearest Warden Units…

His Spirit Points were dropping, but he had enough to hold the line.

With his leadership, the southern gate was still intact and unbreached by the Earth Zombies!

They were even forcing the Earth Zombies out of the ground with all the fire and explosions they were causing!

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